Separable electrical contact device



Feb. 18, 1936. c. KNUTSON 2,031,564

'SEPARABLE ELECTRICAL CONTACT-DEVICE Filed Sept. 9, 1935 ,Fiy. 1

O /4 77 I a 4 ,4 /J

Inventor: Carl L.Knuls0n by: zybz J Passed Feb. 18, i936 2,031,564

a UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcs' Carl L. Knntson, Haywood, 111., mm: to Cinch Manufacturing Corporation, Chicago, IlL', a

corporation of Illinois Application September 9, 1933, Serial No. 688,804

Claims. (01. 173-332) My invention relates to improvements in a separable electrical contact device. I

In the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention:

5 Figure 1 is a section through the entire device,

embodying my invention but without the wirin cables; v

Fig. 2 is a plan section on the line v2---2 of.

Fig. 1, showing the position of themembers before being rotated to assemble the several parts; Fig. 3 is a plan section similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts rotated to assembledpositions; and

P18. 4 is a bottom plan view oi the top membershown in Fig. 1.

My inwintion as illustrated by the drawingrelates to an improvement in separable electrical contact devices though more particularly to provide means for correct alignment of male and female electrical contacts as well asfa newimproved method of assembling what is known as a a cable plug for radio or like apparatus to a being adapted for yieldable interengagement with each other and for engagement with the cable plug or housing members I and la.

The member 2 comprises superposed plates 4 and 5 of insulating material spaced in substantially parallel relation by a smaller plate 5. The

plate 4 carries a number of smooth tubular male projections I secured thereto, as by riveting, and

arranged about the plate i in a manner to be described hereinafter. v The member 3 comprises plates 8 and! which are arranged in spaced relation by a plate ill and the shape and arrangement, of each plate are about the same as those of the member 2. The plate I has a plurality of holes through which pass yieldable female members ii provided with flanges Ila located between the plates 8 and Ill. Each female member has a wiring terminal I! connected therewith, all as shown in Fig. 1. The female members are arranged and adapted 'to 'make electrical contact by receiving members 1,

as will be described hereafter. The male portlons contact with the female portions through the apertures In (Fig. 4) in the plates 9 and II but whlchare properlyaligned so as to permit said connection.

To complete the electrical connection and facilitate and prevent disen agement of portions 1 and I, I-have providedthe usual form of a mmapfastenerhavingasocket l3 and Q gporflmlladaptedtoriaifllysecuretheplatee 'a, a and n together, and' which also holds a wiring terminal ii to plate l. The stud member Iii provides a similar portion to I4 and for the same purpose, and secures to the plate 5 a wiring terminal 11. 5 The wiring of the electrical contact device is as follows. A cable-carrying a number of wires is inserted through the aperture ll of the housing I and the wires of the cable are soldered to the wiring terminals 12 and I5. Similarly, 10 a connection is made in housing lo by inserting a cable through aperture l9 and soldering the wires to terminal I! and by inserting other wires of the cable through apertures 20 (Figs. 2 and 3) in plates I and Ii and soldering them 15 within the tubular portions of the member I in the usual manner. Thus far I have broadly described a device which is well-known in the art, to which no particular claim in itself is drawn, but I shall now 20 describe improvements in construction which have been introduced to overcome certain defects only found in actual practice. Certain of these defects of a separable contact device as illustrated herein have been found when the number of male 25 and female elements were increased beyond a certain number and misalignment of the contacts occurs. It is understood by those acquainted with the art to which this device pertains that the reason for the different sized male and female portions is for the purpose of making the correct electrical contact between certain portions or the socket. If this were not done, short circuits would occur. Up to a certain point, as mentioned heretofore, these diiierent sized members pro- 5' vided a correct method of assembly, but it wasv found that very often-an operator would try to insert a large male element into a smaller female or socket element with the result that, using suilicient pressure, the supporting plates would 49 split or crack and henceforth the parts would be quite useless. It would be easy to see how this could happen as the contact devices were located on the circumference of a circle, especially with the apertures quite close to each other. To overcome this defect, I have arranged to have the male and female contact members located on the supporting plates on the circumferences of eccentrio or concentric circles so that, unless proper alignment of the elements is obtained, itis 51350-56 lutely impossible to insert the larger member into a smaller one as it was when the members were all on the same circumference because they are,

except in the correctpo'sition, entirely out of 1 alignment. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the members 55 arranged on the circumferences of eccentric circles as described above.

This feature of my invention has been tried out and found to work with absolute satisfaction and it istherei'ore a distinctimprovementin theart so 5 fined thereto because the scope use of a greaterfnu'mber oi without [It has also been found t t were unsatisfactory and uncertain. Therefore, I have provided elements that improve the holdlug-power and facilitate The specificimprove'ment illustrated includes a shoulder presenting projection 2| projecting inwardly from the peripheral-wall attheinner side ofthehousin: l andadaptedtoiltbetween supportingplates- 8 and 9. I-also provide a small projection 22, extending directly from the end of the andadaptedtofltintoanotchflintheplato I. The plate I isifl shtly mallerthan the plate I and is provided with a numher of cut-away. straightsides ,(Flgs'. 2 and 3). for the purpose stmchire, it is brought-up to the pIatesLaandJIsotbatthepIateIenter-sthe' e thehousingl tothe-rcst the housing. and the shoulder 2i rests against the plate land adjacent the straight side 24 of plate I. Atthattimetbeprojection Ilrestsagainst the plate I. housing is against the'platel and rotated withrelation to,

the plates I and-l. Asthcseflafomsaid plates are yieldable and resilient, the housing is permitted to rotate freely until the-projection I2 snaps into the notch a, whdteupo heldtotheplatesandresistsany outward force by reason of the fact that the shoulder II is held the plates I and I. --'lli enotchli servestol mittheextentot the rotational the housing at a point where snouidealsisbestheldbyp cflandl;

Ititisdesiredtoseparatethehousipgfromthe supporting plates so that repairs or connections be made. it is o y to pull the housing I away from the plate I and then rotate the housing from the position shown inl 'ig 8 to the position shown mm. 2. Dm'ing'this operation the plate yields to permit the projection 22 to ride over it while the'shouldered projection 2| is being turned to a position where it is released from between the plates.

This new and improved method of a cableplug to plates supporting electrical. contact'devices is simple, easy and positive in action and may be readilyassembled or ed but positively resists any accidental separation.

While I have described and illustrated new and useful improvements in electrical socket devices oi the class described, I do not wish to be co'n- I of my invention is best deflnedln the'following claims.

l. A'device of the class described including a bontact-carrying plate structure having two superposed plates oi insulating material yieldable away from each other adjacent to their peripheries, means between said plates to -maintain them in spaced relation, one plate being smaller than the other and having cut away portions at its periphery, a cup-shaped housingfor assembly with said contact-carrying plate structure and a plurality of inwardly extending shoulder-presenting projections on the wall of 'said cup-shaped housing adapted topass by said smaller plate at the cut away' portions thereof and engage between said plates upon rotation of .said housing relative to said plate structure.

2. m: electrical contact device of the class dev I I scribed comprising, in combination, two platesn the housing is firmly" and means between them holding-them in spaced relationship, a hollow cup-shaped housing having a projection integral with the peripheral wall and extending'beyond the free edge thereof and having a shoulder surrounded by said wall and projecting between said plates to hold the housing in assembly with said plates, one of said plates being I yieldable to pass by said projection and said plate having "a notch .at its periphery receiving said projection when said parts are in a predetermined relationship to prevent accidental rotation of the housing relative to-the'saidplates. g

'3. An electrical contact device of the class described comprising, in combination, two parallel generally circular plates superposed inspaced-relotion, means operably maintaining'the spaced relation of said plates, one of n d plates carrying a plurality of contact devices rojecting from one side thereof, said plate be yieldable and having a notch at the periphery thereof, the other of away iorming a straight side and a housing hay.-

ing a peripheral wall, a projection integral with the, wall' and extending beyond the end of said housing and means providing a shoulder within said housing extending inwardly adjacent the end thereof, said housing adapted to be re'leasably engaged with'said plates by. bringing said shoulder plate and thereafter rotating .said housing relative thereto whereby said shoulder is rotated be- 4. An electrical contact device of the class described comprising, in dombination, two plates and means between them holding them in spaced relation, a housing having a peripheral wall, a "projection extending beyond said wall at its end and a projection within the housing integral with said wall and having a shoulder adapted to project between said plates to secure the housing, to the plates, one of said plates having a cut-away 'portion to pass the shouldered projection and the other of said-plates being yieldable and having a notch whereby said first mentioned projection is adapted to snap nto said notch by the yielding of said plate when said housing is rotated against the plate carrying said notch.

. 5. A device of the class described including a contact-carrying plate structure having two superposed plates of insulating material, means between said plates to maintain them in spaced relation, one plate being smaller than the other and having a rounded periphery with cut-away portions, the larger plate being resilient and having a small notch therein, a cup-shaped housing having a small projection at its open end adapted to enter said notch, and a plurality of inwardly extending shoulder-presenting projections on; the -wall of said cup-shaped housing adapted to pass by said smaller plate at the cut-away portions thereof and engage between said plates upon rotation of said housing relative to said plate structure, and said small projection entering said notch to hold the parts against accidental disbly after having been assembled.

CARL L. KNU'TSON.

.said plates being smaller in diameter than the up to the straight side of said second mentioned 

